Many people with chest pain fear a heart attack. However, there are many possible causes of chest pain. Some causes are not dangerous to your health, while other causes are serious and even life-threatening.

Any organ or tissue in your chest can be the source of pain, including your heart, lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, tendons, or nerves. Pain may also spread to the chest from the neck, abdomen, and back.

You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening, or pressure in your chest.

Pain spreads (radiates) to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades.

You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.

You know you have angina and your chest discomfort is suddenly more intense, brought on by lighter activity, or lasts longer than usual.

Your angina symptoms occur while you are at rest.

You have sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long trip, a stretch of bedrest (for example, following an operation), or other lack of movement, especially if one leg is swollen or more swollen than the other (this could be a blood clot, part of which has moved to the lungs).

Anderson JL, Adams CD, Antman EM, et al. ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina and Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina).
Circulation
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